A guide to wedding tips, trends and experiences. Marriage event reviews, Wedding venue reviews and ideas, honeymoon destination tips, photography, wedding decor and much more.

As soon you decide to get married, odds are you and your friends begin the fun-nest planning of them all – the bachelorette party! One or more nights of girl talk, partying, pampering and a little bit of debauchery is the perfect formula for this exciting new tradition. Nowadays the trend planning a a mini girls-only trip instead of just having a party is emerging strong. Typically party destinations are still the favourite choice, but here we are going to look at a more relaxed getaway in the often over looked city of Nasik (Nashik).

Just around a four hour drive from Bombay and about five hours from Pune, Nasik (Maharashtra) has this laid-back small city charm perfect for a relaxing and more calm bachelorette weekend. Formerly known largely for its religious tourism, this city has become the new hot-spot for a quick holiday for people from nearby metros. One of the biggest draws is the beautiful wineries they have here and the gorgeous natural surroundings. If you and your girlfriends love your wino and need a nice relaxing break amongst nature to sit back and bond, this is the place to do it! It is especially ideal for a peaceful sojourn from the shaadi tamashas and the many hectic functions you may be having.

Nasik is home to beautiful vineyards like Sula, York and Tiger Hills. You can not only go and savour the wines from these very vineyards, but also opt for a tour of the premises and a delicious wine tasting session. The best part is that most of the tasting rooms or restaurants on the premises like those at Sula and York have sublime views of hills and the Godavari river at the nearby Gangapur Dam. You can sit back and chatter, while you gaze out at the rows of grapes being harvested and bask in the prevalent sense of peace. Sula winery also has a private villa you can rent and a new resort right next to the winery. The Sula and York wineries, both hold their very own wine festivals that are super fun, so do check dates out and plan your getaway accordingly.

If you and your girl gang are nature lovers, this is the place for you! Hardcore party lovers will be sorely disappointed. Nasik is a great city for those of you who are interested in hikes, river-side picnics and treks, with loads of places to explore in and around the city limits. You could plan a refreshing, scenic getaway…an escape from the hustle and bustle of your daily life and the chaos of the bigger cities. All you really need is your besties, a gorgeous sunset and that lip-smacking bottle of wine.

Do follow Marry Me – Wedding planners in Mumbai for more fun bachelorette parties & destination wedding ideas.

Pulling of a great wedding requires all aspects harmoniously tied in together, which includes everything from the invites to the decor. One of the most important aspects especially in a food loving culture like ours is the catering! Once you decide on your wedding dates and venue, often the next big step is finding a caterer best suited to the event you have in mind. Whether you decide to go for in-house catering that many venues offer or have to sift through dozens of possible options, there are a few key points you need to keep in mind before you make your choice.

Reputation: Make sure you talk to your near and dear ones for possible caterers they have used before or know of. A wedding caterer with a largely good reputation for their work ethic as well as quality, should be part of your list. Talk to your wedding planner about what you have in mind, since they have worked with many professional and well reputed caterers before. Experience definitely counts, so do find out how many weddings, Indian wedding functions or other events they have done. If you are still not sure, ask if they can provide references and photographs.

Food and Beverage: You need to check what cooking skills and cuisine types they are best known for e.g. Indian cuisine, world cuisine, Chinese etc.; this will help you shorlist depending on what kind of food you are looking to have at the wedding and the different functions. Check if they have the vegetarian and non-vegetarian options that you are looking for. Ask if they can provide a detailed menu for all the food and drink options they can provide for you. Make sure you ask if they will provide for dishes with dietary restrictions (if applicable).

Do check if they will provide alcohol and have the appropriate licenses. Ask if they will set up a bar for you and the applicable bar and corkage fees. Make sure you ask whether they will be serving any complimentary drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Once you decide on the food budget make sure you go through all possible menu combinations that are available to you in that amount. Ask if they provide a tasting once you have narrowed down your selections.

Availability and Pricing: Make sure the caterer is available on the dates you require well in advance, since they get pretty booked during the wedding season. Ask whether they will be able to cater for the different events you have planned and at the times you require. Ask your caterer how much it would cost per head and exactly what their pricing and payment policies are. Some wedding caterers also offer packages that include the tables and chairs, cutlery and plates, linens, table dressing etc.

Set up: Ask what kind on serving set-up they have, whether its table service or buffet style. Do ask if they are familiar with the venue you are having your wedding and what their working method and hygiene standards are. Find out how many and what kind of staff and waitstaff they will provide. Check if the caterer will serve your cake or dessert that you may want to arrange for from another place.

Always arrange for a face to face consultation with the wedding caterers, preferably with your Indian wedding planner present. This is just a basic list, make sure you talk to people who have just gotten married and your wedding professional for a detailed list of things you need to take care of.  Be patient and do your homework, finding the right caterer for your wedding will be the icing on your wonderfully orchestrated cake!

Do check out the Times of India – Matrimonial section on 13th March 2011 – Checkmate where we answer questions from readers.

Finding your perfect wedding perfume takes a little effort but it’s so worth it. Once you figure out which kinds of fragrances like florals, oriental perfumes etc. you are attracted to, you can shortlist and take it from there. Finding the right perfume can also change seasonally; not every fragrance smells the same or has the same effect throughout the year come rain or shine. Here are a few handy hints to select a perfume seasonally:

Summer perfumes: Summers in India are largely hot and very humid or dry, depending on which part of the country you reside in. Perfumes tend to fade away pretty easily in the summer or then turn not so lovely when the days are long and sweaty. Stick to perfumes that are light and lingering like delicate florals or cheerful fruity scents. Crisper citrus scents and cool aquatic perfumes work well too. You can also consider a lighter body mist instead of a perfume.

Winter perfumes:  The winter are when you can truly go bold. This is the time to try richer more sensual perfumes and ones with warm notes. Woody and musky perfumes work well. Since you probably won’t sweat as much in the winter time your perfume will stay strong and won’t change too much during the course of the day.

Rainy-day perfumes – India has a solid monsoon season and in just in case you are getting married in this damp weather finding a nice perfume that will stay put is tough. On cooler, cozy rainy days you could try something richer and yummier but if its really warm and humid it may be best to stick to your summer scents.

Perfume shopping tips:

Perfumes smell different on different people so don’t just blindly pick one up. Try them directly on your skin and let it sit for while so that you can tell how it will smell on you.

If you can, splurge for a perfume set with a shower gel, lotion, deodorant etc. in the same perfume. That way you will create a nice strong foundation for your scent and will ensure that they don’t clash.

Take your best friend or a close relative along when you are perfume shopping. Your perfume should never be totally lost on you or be very cloying (you want to enter as a beautiful bride not a cloud of perfume!). And more importantly your signature perfume should be totally ‘you’, especially on an event as important as your wedding. A honest opinion is a must!

Try and make a visit to stores where you can customise and create your very own perfume with a blend of your preferred essential oils and aromas. It can be uniquely you and you can create different blends for your different functions.

A beautiful perfume can make you feel like even more of a lovely bride so choose well. Think of it as another fun thing to buy before D-day. And lastly the best tip of all comes from Madame Coco Chanel herself  “Wear perfume wherever you want to be kissed” ! Do follow Marry Me – Wedding Planners in India for more shopping and wedding planning checklists.

There\’s nothing worse than a dull bachelorette party or weekend out, unless it\’s an unsafe one! Planning a  bachelorette bash that is fun for all those attending can be a task but it\’s a must-do for a night or nights that everyone especially the bride will remember (and for all the good reasons!). Whether you plan a night out with the girls or a weekend long trip or celebrations, here are a few basic tips to survive this exciting rite of passage, with your sanity intact:

1. Mix and mingle – The bride is bound to have different sets of close friends that may not necessarily socialise with each other otherwise. Since everyone has gathered to celebrate their friendships with the bride to be and her special day, a bachelorette party can fail big time if people go off and sit in their own separate cliques. An enjoyable way to break the ice is to organise games. Bachelorette games can be super fun and you can learn a lot about each other in the process. Do make sure you find out how comfortable everyone is with the level of naughtiness a lot of these games have. You can get tons of game ideas of the net and even make up some of your own. Games where you are tested on how well you know the bride, karaoke or truth and dare ones are always good bets.
2. Plan well – Make sure you plan well ahead, send out the invites so that everyone special to the bride can make it. Decide on which clubs you might want to visit and do your spa and hotel bookings so there are no last minute glitches. Since most bachelorette weekends involve some drinking make sure you find a hotel close to the bars you plan to visit. If you are heading out of town for the weekend do make sure all travel bookings are done in advance and do some research on the places you would like to visit. The bride\’s best friend normally does most of the planning but it can get too much trying to coordinate plans for a bunch of different women, so designate jobs; that way not only is one person doing the running around but everyone feels involved in the making the celebration special.
3. Put aside some down time – Bachelorette weekends can be super hectic and will probably involve late nights and lots of girly activities. If you are planning more than a one-nighter, make a plan that will let everyone relax and put their feet up for a while like spa sessions, massages or a leisurely meal. With a longer trip, make sure there\’s that all days aren\’t chock-a-block with activities so everyone can get a little bit of \’me\’ time.
4. Stay safe – Last but not the least, always be safe! Since it\’s just going to the girls, exercise a little extra caution. Stay together as a group and make sure no one is left stranded at any point. Find hotels and party spots in safe localities and travel together as a group. Since there is probably going to be shots and cocktails involved make sure you eat well and always either designate a driver or hire one for the night.

Stay tuned for more tips and information on Bachelorette parties and other pre-wedding stuff for Marry Me – Wedding Planners.

Wedding Planner Jaipur

Do you want to feel like a real princess on your wedding day? The majestic setting, the natural beauty, your glittering guests and your price waiting to marry his love….sounds perfect doesn’t it! And while we would all love to be the Maharani of some famed kingdom, a royal wedding isn’t that far from the realms of reality. Planning a wedding in a gorgeous city like Jaipur can give you the royal wedding you always dreamed of.

Wedding in Jaipur

Known as the ‘Pink City’, Jaipur is the capital of the state of Rajasthan and is just about a couple of hours and about an hour away by flight from major cities like Mumbai and Delhi respectively. Home to stunning architecture and plenty of old world charm, Jaipur offers couple lots of wedding venue options to choose from. Grand hotels, plush palaces, temples and historical sites, this city has it all in terms of what a grand wedding would require. If regal is what you would expect from your wedding, having a destination wedding in Jaipur may be the thing for you.

Considering the beautiful buildings there, your first tough task would be to choose from the many possible wedding venues. If queenly is what you are going for why not head straight to the charming, centuries old palaces. A lot of these refurbished palaces are not only luxurious hotels but play host to big wedding parties with provisions for accommodation, functions like theSangeet and Mehndi, honeymoon and post wedding bookings and also arrange for cultural programs, caterers, decorators etc. Some popular venues are the Rambagh Palace (now a Taj Group heritage hotel), Oberoi Raj Vilas, the Jal Mahal Palace, the grand haveli Raj Palace, Shahpura House, the Samode Palace (a little over 40kms from Jaipur) or the landmark City Palace. You could also consider a luxurious royalty themed hotel like the Oberoi Rajvilas, close to Jaipur. Another beautiful option is the Kanak Vrindavan Gardens at the feet of the Nandgarh Hills. This mythological valley is also considered to be holy and spiritual. Most of the heritage and luxury hotels come with stunning backdrops, widespread provisions and plenty of different spaces for  destination weddings.

Another big consideration would be the accommodation for your guests. While you are probably okay with spending a bomb for the actual ceremonies and venue itself, you can save on the costs for putting up guests. Since with destination weddings comes the responsibility for finding hotels for your guests, you can look for lower priced hotels close to your venue and have the wedding party stay at the venue itself. Make sure you plan the transportation well in advance so everyone can be there in time for the functions, cultural programs and parties.

A wedding in Jaipur can be planned with all the pomp and opulence you want coupled with modern conveniences you need. Touches like planning a desert tour, shopping excursions and elephant rides for your attendees can make it all the more special. Do remember recreating the splendor of eras gone by definitely doesn’t come cheap….start budgeting and you can star in your own fairytale beginning.

Quite like having your own style aesthetic and being known for it, most stylish women have found or are always looking for their signature perfume. Like Christian Dior aptly said \’\’Long after one has forgotten what a woman wore, the memory of her perfume lingers\’\’. Since our sense of smell is so closely linked with our memories, who doesn\’t want to be associated with a delicious fragrance! What perfume we choose is often indicative of our personalities and flair. A great perfume can alter your mood and make you feel instantly more gorgeous. Your wedding is a great time to find that signature perfume, if you haven\’t already. Not only will you feel more beautiful but that perfume will always remind you and your hubby of these special days.

Here are the few basic types of fragrances for women, to help you get started –

Floral – Florals are the most popular choice in perfumes among women. The heady scent of roses or a sweet lingering lavender; a bouquet of fragrances made with gardenias, orange blossom, cherry blossom and jasmine etc. Floral perfumes invoke beauty, femininity and romance and can be a single flower note or a mix of floral scents. E.g. – Glamorous by Ralph Lauren.

Fruity – Fruity perfumes have touches of different berries, crisp apples and even fruits like pineapple and melons. They are casual, fun and more youthful. You will also find the citrus variety made with extracts from citrus fruits like mandarins, oranges, limes etc. These are more crisp and refreshing. E.g. – DKNY Be Delicious

Oriental – Oriental perfumes are decidedly more sophisticated and sensual. They are generally spicy and musky blends with bases like sandalwood, musk, balsam and sometimes even spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Oriental fragrances are sensual and perfect for a night out on the town or a date. E.g. – Opium by Yves Saint Laurent.

Chypre / Woody- Chypre (meaning cyprus) and woody perfumes are earthier, richer and warmer. Characterised by woody and mossy notes like those of oak moss, bergamont etc., these perfumes are often blended with a lighter floral or fruity touch. They also sometimes have a leather-like undertone. E.g. – Cashmere Mist – Donna Karan

Fresh – There’s a whole range of fresh ‘aquatic’ scents that aim to invoke the energy and crispness of the sea. These oceanic fragrances are lighter and give you that just showered feeling. E.g. – Aqua Di Gio – Georgio Armani

We at Marry Me – Wedding Planners will bring you wedding perfume shopping tips soon!

5 all time wedding favourites

When compared to other cultures, Indian wedding jewellery has the most exorbitant assortment of delicately crafted pieces. Legend has it that whenever parents are blessed with a baby girl, cash and family ornaments are set aside for her wedding jewelery. With more than 20 years of effort going into the wedding jewellery of the bride-to-be, one can expect nothing but phenomenal results. The absence of the right Indian jewelery can make the work of any hotshot designer look half-baked. Let’s look at some different types of Indian wedding jewellery.

Kundan jewellery, which was first originated in Rajasthan, is one of the most popular choices of Indian brides for their wedding jewelery. The splendour of kundan work lies in the accurate setting of gemstones into kundan; the overall final look of the ornament greatly depends on how the setting was done by a skilled craftsman. The beauty of this jewellery is that it can be made multihued to match with your outfit. Let’s face it, though yellow gold is ever eternal in India, sometimes its drabness can take away from the most exclusively done bridal outfit. Rubies, jades, amethysts, garnet, etc. are all widely used to create a kundan bridal set. If you have a lavish budget, it can also be made with fabulous uncut diamonds. Though many people are of the opinion that kundan or vilandi do not have much resale value when compared to gold or diamond jewellery, it hasn’t really stopped brides and families from investing in them. In fact, jadau sets made decades ago are passed on from generation to generation as the most favoured hand-me-down ancestral heirloom.

They don’t call diamonds a girl’s best friend for nothing! Diamond jewellery, with the help of the right designs, stones and style can be made to look extremely elegant on a bride. Its sparkling sheen can lift up even the simplest wedding attire. If you aren’t too much about looking traditional on your wedding day, you can go for a finely crafted diamond set in white or yellow gold setting, depending on your taste. It is also a great idea to wear diamond jewellery for your cocktail and sangeet functions and choose polki, vilandi, kundan or jadau for the main day.

The ornament pieces that make the complete Indian wedding jewellery collection include sringar patti (adorned on the forehead), necklace and earrings, wedding chura (extremely important part of Punjabi tradition), payal (worn around the ankles), baju bandh (armlets), maang tika, nose ring, hathphool (bracelets with dangling chains, which have rings for four fingers). Here’s to all things that sparkle!

The Baraat is a Hindi wedding word which literally means a grooms wedding entourage. The Baraat is a ceremonial procession consisting of the boys family and friends with the groom positioned in the centre. This entourage makes its way towards the wedding venue. The brides family eagerly awaits the baraat at the entrance to welcome. The welcoming is symbolic with both sides meeting in public for the first time which is followed by the actual wedding rituals.

The Barat traditionally is a noisy affair accompanied by a band and portable ceremonial lights. The groom is surrounded by his relatives and friends who dance to the bands rendering of popular wedding songs. Sometimes there are also dholki players adding to the noise (dholak is an Indian percussion instrument). Dancing to a Dholaks beat is rhythmic and reflects joy in Indian weddings.

The baraat terminates at the entrance of the venue and this is followed by the Milni (matching) ceremony. During the Milni, the families of the bride and groom meet through a series of Milnis between equal counterparts. So for example, the grooms Mamaji meets the brides Mamaji. Each meeting is accompanied by an exchange of garlands, vaar and sometimes a bear hug. This is followed by arti on the groom by the brides mother before he finally enters the wedding venue.

The groom is positioned in the centre of the baraat procession and is normally seated on a white horse or then in a decorated car. Flowers and rose water are showered and Vaar (money that is blessed by the groom) distributed to the band and light carriers. The baraat is also accompanied with fireworks being lit to announce its arrival. The groom wears extravagant wedding clothes. His wears a turban on his head (also called safaa) while his face is covered by a sehra (a face covering made of strings of beads and flowers). He also sometimes carries a sword and is accompanied by a brother (called a sarbala) on his horse or in his car. The brother is a kid brother.

The baraat is held in high esteem by the brides family and all baratis are treated like VIPs. If you are requested to be part of a baraat, don’t refuse the offer! The baraat is one of the most fun parts of an Indian wedding. IF you are not sure of what to expect at Indian weddings, A must watch is the new popular movie Band Baaja Baraat where you will get to feel what an Indian wedding is like.